Tennis US Open - Rafael Nadal Still Plenty to learn at the net!

Looking at Rafael Nadal playing on Friday at the US Open defeating Denis Istomin 6-2, 7-6(5), 7-5, my thoughts went back to Bjorn Borg who, like Nadal, is born June 6 and who also never really had the time and desire to master the volley, which in the end was the liability that lead Borg to retirement.

Borgs retirement I still remember as if it was yesterday, so forlorn was the look in Borgs overall attitude, that I said 'that's the end of Borg.'

In the final of the US Open 1981, they were in a see-saw battle in the fourth set, it was break point for McEnroe. Borg, in despair, came in and hit a poor volley on an easy ball from McEnroe, and closed in too far into the net (typical of inept volleyers), John mercilessly hit a perfectly measured lob over an impotent Borg.

That was it! Borg turned around followed the flight of the ball without even making an attempt to chase it, slumpled his shoulders, tucked his chin into his chest and walked back to the baseline, Borg the champion was beat! The New York crowd roared insanely.

A few months later Borg retired.

Watching Nadal on Friday at the US Open against Denis Istomin, I could not stop thinking about Borg and it became evident to me how much room for improvement there is for Rafa on the volleys and how Uncle Tony and Carlos Costa the agent need to finally get it straight. (As usual here goes some 'extremely valuable' free advice for the two.)

If any of you has the opportunity to go back to the tape of the match Rafael Nadal vs Istomin you will have the opportunity to observe the following:

- First set on the point that gave Istomin the 'insurmountable' lead of 5-1 in the tie-breaker.

- Rafa makes an outstanding half volley pick up at the service T line, with the added factor that the ball has a quality angle and stays short and low on Istomin's left service box.

- On the tape and on the graphic I created below, you will see that Nadal made a feable attempt to cover the right side backhand (he is lefty), instead of following the yellow arrow toward the net (closing in) while Istomin was on the run.

- Dennis gets to the ball in the most precarious of positions and in extremis from a 'spargata' position (both legs stretched and spread to the maximum) passes an inactive flat-footed Nadal.

- Had Nadal done the most basic action any volleyer knows, which is to 'close in' he would have had an easy forehand volley to the open court.

Why is this so important to improve? A 1-5 tiebreak score with a Federer, a Soderling and a few others is tantamount to a bye-bye in the first set.

- Nadal gets the perfect ball to attack down the line but instead chooses to attack cross-court right in the striking zone of Dennis Istomins forehand.

- To add to this bad decision (normal for players who are not confident attacking), instead of following 1-aquamarine line, Rafa desperately follows the yellow line on my graphic to the service center line.

Savvy opponents, Federer in particular, bring Nadal unwillingly to the net, exactly with the same short low angle shot in the graphic and have a hay day collecting easy points with the passing shots and lobs.

This only shows me that Rafa is not exposed enough to these situations in practice and therefore under pressure he will fail time and time again, get wrong footed, passed or hit a backhand volley all twisted backwards into the net like he did in this situation.

This is what I call literally 'Lost in Space', spatially on the court and tennis universe!

- From an inconclusive forehand Rafa gets a short ball in the middle of the court (the ones I say Nadal does not know how to handle or does not practice enough) and to my astonishment attacks it cross-court to Dennis Istomin backhand relatively short (TV commentary 'good attack from Nadal'. Argh!!!)

- Just look at the yellow line in the graphic which Nadal followed and the red line that represents Istomin's passing shot.

- Do I need to say that Rafael Nadal the Nr. 1 ATP player in 2010 does not have a clue on how to attack? No I don't, you can see it for yourself.

- Uncle Tony has to do a lot more than just look pretty and cool in sun glasses, he has to help the young man, that is if he knows how....

My take on all of this is simple, A good coach does not need to go to tournaments with super talented individuals, as we have seen  with Hingis, Federer and we see it with Nadal. Nevertheless it takes a REAL coach to make the painful adjustments which make a difference.

Even though I criticize Andy Roddick and implicitly Larry Stefansky for the tactics on the 'little cheat sheet' (US Open 2010 - Does Andy Roddick have a clue?) I honestly think that Larry is one of the few Coaches that really makes a difference and he did it for Roddick!

Do I think the same about Uncle Tony? Nope! After watching the paltry progresses and the suffering Rafael went through because of incompetence and lack of knowledge of the ones in charge I can categorically say that; anyone and I mean literally anyone, even Maria my housemaid can do what Uncle Tony does!

Note well: I am not being harsh with Tony! Just consider the following:

- Tony is Rafas life long coach.

- Nadal reached 2nd RD at Seville Challenger at age 15 not because of Toni but because Rafa is a super talent..

It took Tony almost a life time to understand that you can not let a young talented player run miles more than necessary by allowing Rafa to play 3 and 4 meters (4 to 9 yards ) behind the baseline. This without a shadow of a doubt led to Rafaels knee troubles that still may be career ending.

Only after the knee injury problems work was started to avoid the extra running and shortening of points. Is Toni learning as it goes...at the cost of Rafa's pain?

A good coach would have stopped the extra running when Rafa was 12 years old!

Rafas attack development is non existent:

- Rafas attacks are based purely in muscleling his opponents into submission and hope for an easy volley.

- Sure it works against the lesser players but against peers of his level he needs more sophistication and knowledge which Rafa does not have. Do I need to say who is responsible?

After a career long until this year 2010, finally some changes were made to Nadal's serve in an attempt to get free points even though the wide swinging serve to the ad box (the bread and butter of lefties) continues to be non existent. Come On, it took Tony almost 20 years!!!

The flat forehand and backhand drives were not properly developed, this is a fundamental aspect of finishing points and one of the reasons why Nadal takes so long to finish points, which in my view has also been a contributing factor to Nadals knee injuries.

Only ever since the knee injuries, a feeble attempt at developing a flatter forehand and backhand drives has shown. Two years ago? Why not 15 years ago? Ask Toni.

No need to mention approach shots, net movement or volleys I mentioned some of it in this article. The attack development should also have been done before Nadals 12th birthday.

All in all Rafael Nadal is such an extraordinary competitor and athlete that was able to withstand such un-professional development and still become the number one in the world. Now imagine if the raw diamond had been cut by a true professional?

Sergio Cruz 

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